Three games in after being traded from the Cleveland Browns to the New England Patriots, WR Josh Gordon could be the missing piece in New England.
As talented as he is troubled, the 6’3, 225-pound Gordon gives Tom Brady a physically gifted target he has not had since Randy Moss back in 2007, the year New England had an undefeated regular season.
With Julian Edelman back from a four-game suspension and TE Rob Gronkowski battling a never-ending series of injuries, Gordon could stand to make an immediate Moss-like impact as Brady’s new go-to man, once he is fully recovered from a nagging hamstring injury.
Off the field, it is well documented about his drug and substance abuse that caused him to miss roughly three years of professional football.
Wide receivers who run a 4.5 at his height with breakaway speed don’t grow on trees, and that is why Cleveland was hesitant in parting ways with him before finally shipping the former Baylor product to Foxboro for a 2019 fifth-round pick.
In limited action with the Patriots so far, Gordon has caught four passes for 82 yards and one touchdown, that one TD pass was very significant as it was Brady’s 500th of his illustrious career.
When one thinks of the Patriots, many immediately think of Brady and Bill Belichick. Nothing else after that. They’ve never a big-time stud receiver except for the aforementioned Moss. New England has also had Edelman, Danny Amendola, Wes Welker, Deion Branch, Troy Brown and most recently Brandin Cooks, none of them can quite take the top off of opposing defenses like Gordon can.
While New England currently has Cordarelle Patterson, Phillip Dorsett and Chris Hogan, none of them possess the combination of speed, height and physical freakness that Gordon has.
If he can stay clean off the field, the player known as Flash stands a good chance of bringing some much-needed talent at wide receiver to Foxboro.